Locking bayonet connector securement



DCC. 10, p M TRAlNOR LOCKING BAYONET CONNECTOR SECUREMENT Filed July2'?, 1967 Il lll 5.. n

United States Patent Gftice 3,415,086 Patented Dec. 10, 1968 LOCKINGBAYONET CONNECTOR SECUREMENT Patrick M. Trainor, Chicago, Ill.,assignor, by court order, to Shapiro, Levine and Crane Filed July 27,1967, Ser. No. 656,526 2 Claims. (Cl. 70-240) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE`One of a pair of cooperating bayonet connector members comprises theprojecting rear portion of a pin tumbier lock cylinder that is rotatablein a case having a large flange on its front end. Studs projectrearwardly from the flange for fastening the lock case to a movablepanel. The other bayonet member is formed as the head of a bolt that isreceivable in a hole through a stationary part and is axially adjustablysecurable by a pair of nuts engaging opposite sides of the stationarypart.

This invention relates to a locking device for releasably securing adoor or movable panel such as, for example, an automobile hood or reardeck, or a vending machine access panel; and the invention is moreparticularly concerned with a key actuable locking securement that isespecially Well adapted for retro-fitting, that is, for installation in4the eld by an ultimate user or a service agency.

There are many types of installations in which a locking device of thetype just -mentioned is useful. The owner of a customized automobile,for example, might desire a good, secure means of locking its hood toprevent the hood from being raised by unauthorized persons; and he wouldbe particularly interested in a hood lock which would very preciselyestablish the locked position of the hood in relation to adjacent partsof the automobile body structure and which would in itself beinconspicuous but attractive so as to contribute to the utmostrefinement of exterior appearance.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a keyactuating locking device which can be readily iustalled in the fieldwith few and simple tools and with little labor and a minimum of skill,and which can be readily adjusted to enable precise positioning of thehood or other movable part that is secured by the device when the deviceis in its locked condition.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide, in a lockingdevice of the type that comprises a pair of bayonet connector members,means for readily installing one of the bayonet members and for axiallyadjusting the same with great ease and convenience so that the positionof the connection between the bayonet members can be established veryprecisely.

Another specific object of this invention is to provide a very simple,rugged and dependable but inexpensive key actuated locking device of thebayonet connection type, having one of its bayonet members formed as therear end portion of the rotatable plug or cylinder of `a cylinder lock,and particularly of a cylinder lock of the type having axial tumblersand which is controlled by a tubular key.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a locking device ofthe character described that is neat and inconspicuous, so as not todetract from the appearance of the hood, panel or other part on which itis installed.

With these observations and objects in mind, the manner in which theinvention achieves its purpose will be appreciated from the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings. This disclosure is intendedmerely to exemplify the invention. The invention is not limited to theparticular structure disclosed, and changes can be made therein whichlie within the scope of the appended claims without departing from theinvention.

The drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodimentof the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devisedfor the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an automobile having apair of locking devices of this invention installed on its hood forlocking the hood in its closed position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view on a larger scale of one ofthe locking devices of this invention shown installed on an automobilehood; and

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional View on a still larger scale takenon the plane of the. line 3 3 in FIG- URE 2.

'Referring now to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 5 designatesgenerally a locking device of this invention, shown installed on thehood 6 of an automobile to hold the hood securely in a predeterminedclosed position and prevent unauthorized persons from raising it. Forsuch hood securement two of the locking devices 5 are preferablyemployed, one near each side of the hood, near the end of the hoodremote from its hinges or pivots, in order to afford maximum yassurancethat the hood will be held with complete security and stability,unaffected by wind, road bumps and vibration.

In general the locking device of this invention comprises a pair oftelescopable bayonet connector members 7 and 8, one comprising the rearend portion of the cylinder 9 of a cylinder lock 10, and the othercomprising the head of a bolt 11. In this case the male bayonet member 7comprises the rear of the lock cylinder 9 and the female member 8comprises the head of the bolt 11.

Forming one of the bayonet elements as the 4head of a bolt enables it tobe very readily installed on a fixed .part adjacent to the door, panelor the like to be secured by the device, and also provides for veryfacile adjustment. Thus in the case of an automobile hood, the bolt 11can be secured to a brace 12 or the like, such as a radiator coresupport bar, by drilling through the structural member a hole of a sizeto clear the bolt, inserting the bolt into the hole, and securing thebolt by means of nuts 13 that are threaded onto the bolt to clampinglyengage opposite surfaces of the structural member. Axial adjustment ofthe bayonet -connector member is of course accomplished by axialadjustment of the nuts along the bolt.

The cylinder lock 10 has a cylindrical housing or case 14 with asubstantially large radially outwardly project ing ange 15 at its front,and has a coaxial rearwardly opening bore 16 and a forwardly openingcounterbore 17. The plug or cylinder 9 has a rear spindle portion 18which is received in the bore in the housing and projects therebehind,and has an enlarged head portion 19 at its front which is received inthe counterbore 17 and which cooperates with the forwardly facingshoulder defined by the junction of the bore andthe counterbore toprevent rearward displacement of thecylinder relative to the case. Aspring clip ring 20 received in a circumferential groove in the spindleportion of the cylinder cooperates with the rear rim of the case toconfine the cylinder against forward displacement.

In its head portion the cylinder has a coaxial well 21 with a forwardlyopening enlargement or counterbore 22. A key boss 'member 23 which isgenerally T-sha'ped in longitudinal section has its stern portionpress-fitted into the smaller diameter rear portion of the well 21, butthe head portion of the key boss member has ya somewhat smaller diameterthan the counterbore 22 to cooperate with the inner surface of thelatter in defining an annular ,forwardly opening key socket 24 in whicha tubular key 25 is receivable. The front faces of the flange 15, of thehead portion 19 of the cylinder and of the key boss member 23 are allflush with one another and are preferably chromium plated or otherwiseprovided with an attractive surface finish.

In the head portion 19 of the cylinder there are a plurality of tumblerwells 26 that are parallel to the cylinder axis and equispaced radiallytherefrom as well as spaced at equal intervals circumferentially Theseopen to the rear of the head portion, but their front end portions openlaterally to the annular key socket 24. In the locked condition of thecylinder the tumbler wells 26 align coaxially with forwardly openingdriver wells 27 in the casing. A driver 28 in each driver well is urgedforwardly by a small coiled compression spring 29 that reacts againstthe bottom of the driver well, so that when there is no key in thecylinder the driver is partway received in its axially aligned tumblerwell, thereby preventing rotation of the cylinder. A tumbler 30 in eachtumbler well engages the front end of the well to define the mostforward position of the driver.

The key 25 for the lock has shallow forwardly opening notches 31 in theouter surface of its tubular shank, each engageable with a tumbler 30.When the key is inserled into the key socket 24, a suitable index mark32 on the key is aligned with a mark 33 on the front face of thecylinder to establish the proper rotational position of the key, atwhich, when fully inserted, the key drives the tumblers back to wheretheir rear ends are on the plane of the rear surface of the head portion19 of the cylinder to free the cylinder for key propelled rotation.

The rear spindle portion 1S of the cylinder, which projects behind thelock casing, is of a diameter to be readily receivable in an upwardlyopening well 34 in the female bayonet member 8, and a transverse pin 35extends through it near its rear end. The female bayonet member 8 ofcourse has suitable L-shaped bayonet slots 36 in which the pin 35 isengageable when the bayonet niembers are brought into telescopingrelation, so that upon rotati-on of the male bayonet member 7 in onedirection a secure connection can be established between the members.

Retrofit installation of the connector of this invention is very simpleby reason of one of the bayonet members being formed as the head of thebolt 11, as above described, and further by reason of a plurality ofthreaded studs 37 which are spot welded to the rear of the flange 15 onthe lock case and project rearwardly therefrom. As a part of a kit, atemplate (not shown) having a pressure sensitive adhesive on one sidethereof can be provided to facilitate drilling a central hole for thecase and spaced smaller holes for the stu-ds` Nuts 38 on the studscooperate with the underside of the hood or panel on which the lock isinstalled to hold the lock in place thereon with the flange 15 overlyingits outer surface.

If the hood has an inner hood panel 39, substantially larger holes aredrilled in the inner panel coaxially with the studs 37, of a size toclear the nuts 38 and permit access to them, and tubular spacers 40 areslipped over the studs before the nuts are threaded onto them. Thespacers permit the nuts to be readily accessible through the holes inthe inner panel,

From the foregoing description taken with the accompanying drawings itwill be apparent that this invention provides a locking secufrement foran automobile hood, vending machine panel or the like that is neat andinconspicuous in appearance, is very easily installed and is veryreadily adjustable.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. A locking device for releasably securing an automobile hood and thelike a stationary element beneath' said hood, comprising in combination,a lock case including a pin-tumbler lock mounted in said case having arotatable cylinder with its front end accessible at the outer surface ofthe hood adapted to be rotated by means of a proper key insertable intothe case, ya first connector member mounted as a coaxial rear endportion of said cylinder and projecting rearwardly therefrom, a secondconnector member having elongated portion fixedly securable to saidstationary element beneath the hood, and means associated with each ofsaid first and second connector members cooperable upon rotation of saidlock cylinder to establish a connection therebetween, characterized by:

(A) said lock case having a substantially large radially outwardlyprojecting flange at the front thereof, adapted to overlie the outersurface of said hood on which the lock case is mounted; and

(B) a plurality of studs projecting rearwardly from said flange andfastening means on the rear end portions of said studs for securing andmaintaining said flange flatwise engaged with the hood.

2. In a locking device of the character described:

(A) a pin tumbler lock having (l) a housing with a substantially largeradially projecting circumferential flange on its front, and

(2) a cylinder rotatable in said housing and having its rear end portionprojecting therefrom and ormed as a first bayonet connector member;

(B) a plurality of studs projecting rearwardly from said flange andspaced from the housing and from one another;

(C) a nut on each of said studs;

(iD) a bolt having its head formed as a second bayonet connector membercooperable with said first bayonet connector member; and

(E) a pair of nuts on said bolt adapted to clampingly engage oppositesides of a part having a hole therethrough in which the bolt isreceived, for clampingly securing the bolt in the part in a desiredposition of axial adjustment relative to the part.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,286,739 6/1942 Krause 292-3412,594,599 4/1952 Uhri 220-25 2,877,637 3/1959 G-reenwald 7086 3,267,7068/1966 Kerr 70^3631l MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. R. L. WOLFE,Assistant Examiner.l

U.S. Cl. X.R. -451, 370, 161

